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CZ_insims's avatar
CZ_insims
7 months ago
Solved

Sims 4 won't launch

I am having trouble getting the game launched since I updated the game and installed the new DLC. Whenever I click on the blue play button, nothing happens except the EA app auto-minimizing. I have w...
pc
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    7 months ago

    @CZ_insims  That's strange, Sims 4 should be using the Nvidia graphics card after the changes you made.  Please try switching to DirectX 11 mode, as described here:

    https://answers.ea.com/t5/PC/Enabling-DirectX-11-For-Sims-4-on-EA-app-and-Steam/td-p/13711976

    Even if the game works, please check Config.log, in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4, to see whether the Intel or Nvidia card is being used at launch.  The Graphics Device Info is about 30 lines down.  (This is not a helpful test if Sims 4 doesn't launch at all because the file only updates each time the game starts to load.)

    If you can't play in DX11 mode, please do a clean uninstall and reinstall of both graphics drivers, as described here:

    https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/02/clean-re-install-of-graphics-drivers-with-display-driver-uninstaller-ddu.html

    You can get fresh copies of the drivers Asus offers for your laptop here:

    https://www.asus.com/us/supportonly/fx507vv/helpdesk_download/

    You'll want the newest Nvidia graphics driver, dated July 24, 2023, and the newest Intel driver, dated July 27, 2023.  I realize these seem a bit old, but it's easy to update if necessary and more complicated to revert to these drivers once you've installed new ones.  So please do try these first.

    The proper order of operations here is uninstall the Nvidia driver > uninstall the Intel driver > restart > reinstall the Intel driver > restart > reinstall the Nvidia driver > restart, all while your computer is offline.

    If you still can't play after reinstalling both drivers, please post a new dxdiag.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    7 months ago

    @CZ_insims  Please close ArmouryCrate, or anything with Armoury in its name, in the Task Manager.  It's crashing a lot, although I can't say that it's definitely related to Sims 4.

    If that doesn't help, are you running Sims 4 through Steam, and if so, are you using a nonstandard version of Steam?  I've heard sometimes it stops working.  Do you use a VPN, and does it help to play without the VPN running?  If you use a third-party antivirus, does it help to (temporarily) disable it?  As long as you don't do anything else at the same time, your computer should be safe.

    If none of these makes a difference, please try playing in a new admin Windows account.  Make it local, as in, don't link it to your Microsoft account.  You'll be able to (try to) launch Sims 4 without reinstalling anything.

    • CZ_insims's avatar
      CZ_insims
      7 months ago

      Hi friend, thank you so much for your help. but the bad news is I tried everything you said, still nothing worked for me. The game can't be activated using a local account either. Any other suggestions? T^T

    • CZ_insims's avatar
      CZ_insims
      7 months ago

      I don't know if this helps: I noticed that the game seems to be limited to only taking up 30MB of CPU when running. I don't know if it was the cause but I can't make any change to it.

      • puzzlezaddict's avatar
        puzzlezaddict
        Hero+
        7 months ago

        @CZ_insims  The low CPU usage is likely the result, not the cause, of the problem.  The game isn't loading enough to tax the CPU.

        Please look for new errors in the Reliability Monitor.  Hit Windows key-R and enter "perfmon /rel" without quotes, and you'll see a chart of errors and updates with a column for each day.  Today is on the right.

        Look for an error that happened at exactly the time of your most recent attempt to launch Sims 4, specifically in the new Windows account.  If you find one, double-click it to see more details, then copy that info and paste it into a reply here.  If you don't see a new error, check back in an hour or so—the Reliability Monitor doesn't always update right away.

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